“Dream big – they are the words to use,” said Whitlock, who won Britain’s first Olympic gymnastics gold in the men’s floor and then triumphed in the pommel horse 90 minutes later in Rio this year. “Be ambitious and set targets.

“I always advise people to set targets and set goals so you have something to work towards. It’s one of the main things, if you have a goal then go for it with your best shot.

“I didn’t think it would be a reality. I only had my Olympic dream when I was 17.

“I’d always done sport up until that stage because I loved it and I continue to do it because of that reason.

“There are some talented people here and hopefully they are ones to watch for the future.”

Max Whitlock. Picture: Andy Jones

While Maddie Hinch was crowned sportsperson of the year at the awards, held at MidKent College, the categories covered a wide spectrum of sports including unsung heroes and those not normally in the spotlight.

“It’s brilliant to listen to, that’s why I like coming to events like this,” added Whitlock, who performed a brief demonstration to kick-off the evening.

“I like to hear how much people are doing for the community and young kids because they share the same passion as me.

“It’s all about getting kids involved in sport and it’s not just one sport – it’s a whole range of them – because you never know what their talent could be.”